Within a
century after the death of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) the Muslims not
only conquered new lands, but also became scientific innovators with originality
and productivity. They hit the source ball of knowledge over the fence to
Europe. By the ninth century, Islamic medical practice had advanced from
talisman and theology to hospitals with wards, doctors who had to pass tests,
and the use of technical terminology. Muslim doctors used Seton and animal gut
for sutures in surgery and used alcohol as an antiseptic. Al-Zahrawi, the most
eminent surgeon among Muslim physicians in his book Al-Tas'rif, described and
illustrated about 200 surgical instruments many of which Zahrawi himself
devised. Importance of the study of Anatomy as a fundamental prerequisite to
surgery was stressed. Al-Zahrawi's description of varicose vein stripping, even
after ten centuries is almost like modern surgery. His techniques in
orthopedic surgery have been reintroduced in the 20 the century. Surgeons all
over the world practice today unknowingly several procedures that Muslim
surgeons introduced 1,000 years ago.

INTRODUCTION

Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) who is ranked number one by Michael hart (1), a
Scientist and Scholar, in his book "The 100: The Most Influential Persons in
History", was able to unite the Arab tribes who had been torn by revenge,
rivalry, and internal fights, and produced a strong nation that conquered,
simultaneously, the known super powers (empires) at that time., namely the
Persian and Byzantine Empires. The Islamic Empire extended from the Atlantic
Ocean on the West to the borders of China on the East. Only 80 years after the
death of their prophet, the Muslim crossed to Europe to rule Spain for more than
700 years. The Muslims preserved the cultures of the conquered lands. However
when the Islamic Empire became weak, most of the Islamic contributions in art
and science were destroyed. The Mongols burnt Baghdad (1258 CE) out of
barbarism, and the Spaniards demolished most of the Islamic heritage in Spain
out of hatred.

The Islamic
Empire for more than 1,000 years remained the most advanced and civilized nation
in the world. This is because Islam stressed the importance and respect of
learning, forbade destruction, developed in Muslims the respect for authority
and discipline, and tolerance for other religions. The Muslims recognized
excellence and, hungering intellectually, were avid for the wisdom of the world
of Galen, Hippocrates, and Rufus of Ephesus, Oribasius, Dioscorides and Paul of
Aegina. By the tenth century their zeal and enthusiasm for learning resulted in
all essential Greek medical writings being translated into Arabic in Damascus,
Cairo, and Baghdad. Arabic became the international language of learning and
diplomacy. The center of scientific knowledge and activity shifted eastward, and
Baghdad emerged as the capital of the scientific world. The Muslims became
scientific innovators with originality and productivity. Islamic medicine is one
of the most famous and best known facets of Islamic civilization, and in which
the Muslims most excelled (2). The Muslims were the great torchbearers of
international scientific research (3). They hit the source ball of knowledge
over the fence to Europe. In the words of Campbell (4) "The European medical
system is Arabian not only in origin but also in its structure. The Arabs are
the intellectual forebears of the Europeans."

The aim of
this paper is to prove in a concise manner that the Muslim Surgeons were 1,000
years ahead of their times.

SURGERY

Al-Razi is
attributed to be the first to use the Seton in surgery (5) and animal gut for
sutures (6). He was the first to use silk sutures and alcohol for hemostasis
(7). He was the first to use alcohol as an antiseptic (2).

Ibn Sina
originated the idea of the use of oral anesthetics (8). The Arabs invented the
soporific sponge, which was the precursor of modern anesthesia. It was a sponge
soaked with aromatics and narcotics and held to the patient's nostrils (8). The
use of anesthesia was one of the reasons for the rise of surgery in the Islamic
world to the level of an honorable specialty, while in Europe, surgery was
belittled and practiced by barbers and quacks. The Council of Tours in 1163 CE
declared "Surgery is to be abandoned by the schools of medicine and by all
decent physicians." (9). Burton (10) stated that "anesthetics have been used in
surgery throughout the East for centuries before ether and chloroform became the
fashion in civilized west.."

AL-ZAHRAWI

Abu al-Qasim
Khalaf Ibn Abbas al-Zahrawi (930-1013 CE) known to the west as Abulcasis,
Bucasis, or

Alzahravius
is considered to be the most famous surgeon in Islamic medicine. In his book Al-Tasrif,
he described hemophilia for the first time in medical history. The book contains
the description and illustration of about 200 surgical instruments, many of
which devised by Zahrawi himself (11). In it Zahrawi stresses the importance of
the study of Anatomy as a fundamental prerequisite to surgery (9). He advocated
the reimplantation of a fallen tooth and the use of dental prosthesis carved
from cow's bone, and improvement over the wooden dentures worn by the first
President of America, George Washington, seven centuries later (12). Zahrawi
appears to be the first surgeon in history to sue cotton (Arabic word) in
surgical dressings in the control of hemorrhage, as padding in the splinting of
fractures, as a vaginal padding in fractures of the pubic, and in dentistry. He
introduced the method for the removal of kidney stones by cutting into the
urinary bladder. He was the first to teach the lithotomy position for vaginal
operations (13). He described tracheotomy, distinguished between goiter and
cancer of the thyroid, and the invention of a cauterizing iron, which he also
used to control bleeding. His description of varicose veins stripping, even
after ten centuries, is almost like modern surgery (14). In orthopedic
surgery he introduced what is called today Kocher's method of reduction of
shoulder dislocation and patelectomy (15). 1,000 years before Brook reintroduced
it in 1937 (16.

IBN SINA

Ibn Sina's
description of the surgical treatment of cancer holds true even today after
1,000 years. He says the excision must be wide and bold; all veins running to
the tumor must be included in the amputation. Even if this is not sufficient,
then the area affected should be cauterized (17). His recommendation of wine as
the best dressing for wounds was very popular in medireview practice (18).

The surgeons
of Islam practiced three types of surgery; vascular, general, and orthopedic.
Ophthalmic surgery was a specialty, which was quite distinct both from medicine
and surgery. They freely opened the abdomen and drained the peritoneal cavity in
the approved modern style. To an unnamed surgeon of Shiraz is attributed the
first colostomy operation. Liver abscesses were treated by puncture and
exploration.

Surgeons all
over the world practice today unknowingly several surgical procedures that
Zahrawi introduced 1,000 years ago (15)

CONCLUSION

1,000 years
ago Islamic Medicine including Surgery was the most advanced in the world at
that time. Even after ten centuries later the achievements of Islamic Medicine
and Surgery look amazingly modern. 1,000 years ago the Muslims were the great
torchbearers of international scientific research. Every student and
professional from each country outside the Islamic Empire, aspired, yearned, and
dreamed to go to the Islamic Universities to learn, to work, to live and to lead
a comfortable life in an affluent and most modern and civilized society. Islamic
countries have the opportunity and resources to make Islamic Medicine and
Surgery number one in the world, once again.

REFERENCES

M. H. Hart, "The 100: A Ranking of the Most
Influential Persons in History." Hart Publishing Co., New York, 1978.

S. H. Nasr, "Science and Civilization in
Islam." New American Library, Inc. New York, 1968, pp.184-229.